CHAPTER 32: TWO WEEKS OF HONEYMOON

Pedro, Adrian’s personal driver, picked up Adrian and Bianca at the airport and drove them straight to Adrian’s apartment in downtown New York. Bianca would be staying with Adrian at his place. Since their marriage wasn’t real, they both agreed not to buy a house and just live at Adrian’s apartment.

Bianca was amazed the moment she stepped inside. The apartment was designed in a Scandinavian style, mixed with a touch of urban flair. It was minimalistic but still stylish, and the cozy atmosphere somehow made her feel calm. She didn’t expect Adrian Williams, known for being cold and serious at work to live in a place that felt so warm. She had imagined a dark, masculine, luxurious space. But she was completely wrong.

"Your stuff is already in your room. If you need anything or if something’s missing, just let me know," Adrian said as he led her to the guest bedroom, then left her alone.

Once he was gone, Bianca sat down on the edge of the bed and let out a long sigh. She stared off in silence. Her status had changed now, she was officially Adrian’s wife. And she had no idea how long she would have to keep up the act. Not wanting to dwell on it, Bianca got up, opened her suitcase, and started putting her clothes into the closet.

After she was done unpacking, she changed into something more comfortable and lay down on the bed. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

Adrian, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep at all.

He was restless.

Ever since he saw Bianca’s transformation in Bali, she had been stuck in his head. Her face, her smile, her body—it kept replaying in his mind. And now, they were living under the same roof. Just the two of them.

It felt like a curse. He could see her, but he couldn’t touch. And worse, when he thought about her, his body started to react.

"F*cking shit," Adrian muttered as he quickly got up and headed to the bathroom. He turned on the cold shower, letting the freezing water cool down his overheated body.

***

When Bianca opened her eyes, the sky outside the large glass window in her room had already turned orange. It was dusk. Her throat felt dry, so she slowly pushed herself up and walked out of the room to get a glass of water.

She was surprised to find Adrian in the kitchen, cooking. Quietly, Bianca walked toward him.

"You can cook?" she asked, now standing beside him.

Adrian turned to glance at her briefly and mumbled, "Yeah. I can cook."

"What are you making?"

Bianca leaned in a little, sniffing the air with curiosity. "Smells really good..." she said, tilting her head slightly as she tried to catch more of the aroma. "Is that... garlic and tomato?"

"Spaghetti," Adrian replied, stirring the pan without looking at her. "You eat spaghetti, right?"

"I do. Do you need any help?"

"No need. Just have a seat. I’ll take care of it. It’s almost done," he said, gently shaking the pan.

"Okay..." Bianca replied and walked over to the kitchen counter. She pulled out one of the high chairs and sat down, watching him cook as she rested her arms on the counter.

The delicious smell of the spaghetti filled the kitchen, making Bianca’s stomach growl. She swallowed hard, unable to resist the scent.

"I didn’t know you could cook."

Her words made Adrian pause for a moment. Just a second. Then he continued what he was doing. What Bianca didn’t know was that her words brought back a memory. His eyes had darkened briefly—sad, distant. That one sentence reminded him of her. The woman he used to call his mother. His jaw clenched slightly, not wanting to remember.

Not wanting to disturb him, Bianca stayed quiet and watched him from her seat. From where she sat, she could see everything Adrian was doing. Even in casual clothes, her former boss still looked ridiculously handsome. With broad shoulders, a strong build, and that defined back, it wasn’t hard to see why the women at the office were all crazy about him.

Soon after, Adrian walked over to her with two plates of spaghetti.

"Hope it’s to your taste," he said, sounding just a little shy. It was the first time he had cooked for a woman—other than her.

"Wow, it already smells amazing. Do you cook often?" Bianca asked curiously.

"Yeah."

"That’s impressive. I can’t even cook to save my life," she said with a small, embarrassed laugh.

"I’ll teach you sometime—when I’m not busy," Adrian said as he placed one of the plates in front of her and sat across from her.

"Really?"

"Really," he replied as he grabbed her plate and gently added a portion of spaghetti onto it.

"Thanks," Bianca said with a small smile as she took the plate.

For some reason, Adrian felt like Bianca’s attitude toward him was starting to soften. It felt like she was warming up to him, slowly letting her guard down. And he liked that feeling. Since they got off the plane, things between them had started to change. The awkwardness that used to hang between them didn’t feel so heavy anymore. Somehow, that flight had brought them a little closer.

"For our honeymoon, we’re flying out next week," Adrian said after finishing his food.

Bianca, who had just taken a sip of water, suddenly started coughing

"You okay?" Bianca let out a dry, awkward laugh, clearly embarrassed for making a scene in front of Adrian.

"I’m fine. We’re going to Japan, right?" she said, trying her best to act normal and hide her embarrassment.

"Mm. You’re not having second thoughts, are you?" Adrian asked, raising one eyebrow as he studied her.

"No. I’ll just treat it like a vacation. How long are we staying?"

"Two weeks."

Bianca’s eyes widened. "Isn’t that a bit too long?"

"Grandpa insisted we spend two full weeks on our honeymoon."

Bianca scratched her cheek nervously. "Mm. Can’t we shorten it a little?"

"Why? You can’t stand being around me for that long?" Adrian snapped, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice.

"That’s not it. I—I just..." Bianca stammered, completely lost for words.

"Forget it. You don’t have to explain anything to me," Adrian said as he stood up, grabbing the dirty dishes from the table and walking to the kitchen.

"I can wash those," Bianca called out, following him.

Adrian placed the plates in the sink and walked away, leaving Bianca frozen in place, confused by his sudden change in mood.

***